It’s the beginning of our second whole day in Hungary! We (all the YAGMS….about 44 of us, going to different countries around the world) spent the past week in Chicago for ELCA – Young Adults in Global Mission orientation. On Wednesday (the 25th), I left with the four other girls going to Slovakia and Hungary, and we flew into Budapest.
We arrived and were greeted at the Budapest airport by Jozsi, our guide, translator, and all-around helper for the next few days. We then took a minibus out to Lake Balaton, where we’ll be staying at a Roma camp for a little over a week, until our language training starts on September 5th. Everyone we’ve met and spoken with is so kind and helpful, even when we can hardly understand each other due to the language barrier. It has been so much fun learning Hungarian with Jozsi, and trying out that Hungarian in the etterem (restauraunt), where we eat all of our meals…to the point where all the waiters and cooks recognize us as the sweet American girls who need a lot of help with their Hungarian. Gyuri, the man who, if I understand correctly, runs the camp, invited us to another Roma camp in the area, where he and his son, Eureka, were playing and singing traditional gypsy music. The music was absolutely beautiful (google/youtube “Romano Glaszo” if you want a taste of it!). After we returned to the camp where we’re staying, some of the teenage girls graciously and patiently taught us ladies how to do a traditional Gypsy dance, with footwork we Americans have never seen before :). Don’t worry yourselves too much though, I’ll continue practicing so I can teach you all when I return!
Essential Hungarian Phrase of the Day:
“Vizet Szencsav Mentes” aka… “v-zet sin-sh-aaaah-v ment-esh”
In English: “Water without bubbles/gas”
Comical moments of the week:
Singing “Better Shape Up” from the movie “Grease”, with 10 year old Eureka, in the back of the minibus, during the bumpy ride to the other Roma camp.
And….eating what literally translates to “coco snails” for breakfast! Haha, don’t worry they’re just cinnamon rolls with cocoa powder instead of cinnamon :)
Szia! (hello or goodbye...prounounced like we would say see-ya!)
Great to hear about your coco snails, Julie! Enjoy eating! We prayed for you on Sunday at church - it was meant to be since the ELCA Prayer Ventures included the Lutheran church in Hungary! We continue to pray for you and hope your experience is amazing! Blessings, PJ
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